Sunday, 5 February 2006

I haven't posted the "infamous 12" cartoons that originally appeared in a Danish Newspaper simply because I found a few of them mildly offensive, and I believe in good manners. I don't know many muslims, but some of those I do know would have cause to be mildly offended, and I don't want to do that.

But there has been such a grossly offensive reaction from even moderate Muslims that, in the interests of showing any reading this what the cartoons actually say, I'm posting them.

Here's one that has turned out to be woefully inaccurate.

Inaccurate because rather than the cartoon's point, that this is "no big deal" and that only completely a bigotted, fanatic and psychopathic tiny minority could over-react, it seems most Muslims are in that category after all. At least, that's what the objective evidence is pointing to.

Now some stuff that I find offensive.

The Blood Libel promulgated by Palestinians that Jews are butchering muslims for blood for religious sacrifices, and selling their organs overseas.

But we permit that in the name of "free speech" here, we don't go ape and threaten to disembowel or behead people. We figure that the truth will out in the end, with the Moonbats who shrilly shout the Big Lie revealed for what they are.

The propensity for everything Arabs and Muslims happen not to like at the moment is all the fault of the Jews. From Earthquakes in the Indian Ocean to Cartoons in Danish Newspapers, it's all a Zionist Jew plot. I find the insanity, hatred and denial of reality very offensive indeed, but again, there's a matter of Freedom of Speech.

I can't say I'm real keen when a "moderate" Islamic Cleric utters what could be interpreted by the uncharitable as a veiled threat :

A SENIOR Islamic cleric has called on Australia's media not to publish the cartoons which have sparked riots across the Muslim world.Sheikh Fehmi El-Imam, the general secretary of the Board of Imams of Victoria, warned reprinting the cartoons here could "disturb people who can do things that we don't want them to do".

"In some parts of the world there is rioting against the Danish and the Dutch, we don't want that in Australia," the sheikh said today.

"Unfortunately, New Zealand has (published the cartoons) ... I'm trying to avoid, to put far away, any possibility of disturbing the peace in Australia."

Now if the cartoons had been really deliberately offensive, then maybe he would have a point. But it's gone beyond a question of "keeping the peace" now, it's a matter of submission to Bullying.

But still, "Freedom of Speech" means tolerating things that offend me. It's only when speech turns to offensive action that we call a halt to it.

Hundreds of Syrian demonstrators stormed the Danish Embassy in Damascus Saturday and set fire to the building, witnesses said.

The demonstrators were protesting offensive caricatures of Islam's Prophet Mohammed that were first published in a Danish newspaper several months ago.

Witnesses said the demonstrators set fire to the entire building, which also houses the embassies of Chile and Sweden.

And threats of any description go way beyond the bounds of Freedom of Speech.

We've taken this stuff without demur - no bombing of embassies, no death threats against the cartoonists.

Even cartoons depicting the Jews (who else) as being responsible for 9-11.

This has been interpreted by many Muslims as signs of weakness, or even agreement with the views expressed. Well enough is enough, and it's time to say to some that yes, this time we mean to be offensive, because you've offended us far too much, far too often, and you're showing signs of getting worse as time goes by.

If things like this:Showing a cartoonist, blinds drawn, sweating in fear of some Crazed Islamic Loon knifing him because he dared draw a picture, offend your sensibilities so much that you want to knife him etc etc, then I cordially invite you to get Bent.

Are we afraid of you? Of course we are. So much so that we may have to do something we really don't want to do if you continue. By all means seeth, whine, froth at the mouth and make a spectacle of yourself. But actually start to implement your threats, and we will react accordingly. Not by waving a white flag, either.

1 comment:

No matter what your religious beliefs are and how strongly you hold them, in your interactions with people who do not share your beliefs you cannot ask them to act as if you were right. Surely you can only demand that they act according to those beliefs that you have in common. You have to admit that reasonable decent people might disagree with you and have good reasons for doing so.

A little humility about one's own beliefs please! Anyting else is the pathway to conflict and chaos.

About Me

Actually, I am a Rocket Scientist.
Also hormonally odd (my blood has 46xy chromosomes anyway) and for most of my life, I looked male, and lived as one, trying to be the best Man a Gal could be. Anyway, in May 2005 that started changing naturally for reasons still unclear, and I'm now Zoe, not Alan : happier and more relaxed not to have to pretend any more.
UPDATE - reason now identified as the 3BHSD form of CAH.

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